Samantha Watt discovers physical fitness has more benefits that you might imagine.
For a lot of people, Covid 19 forced them into making some difficult and often very uncomfortable decisions. A lot of people went from having a steady routine which probably hadn’t changed for many years to suddenly finding themselves with nothing to do. Their routine came to an end and, at the time, nobody was sure how long it would last.
That’s precisely the situation Samantha Watt found herself in.
Sam worked in the hospitality industry. She was front of house in a busy hotel and was heavily involved in organising weddings and conferences.
And then March 23rd 2020 arrived and hospitality was, in effect, closed for the foreseeable future.
“It was a difficult time for me and I admit that I struggled to cope,” says Sam. “It put me in a really bad place and I started to have mental health issues and eating disorders. While I was busy at the hotel, those mental health problems never arose because I was constantly distracted. However, when I suddenly found myself sitting in the house with nothing to do and nowhere to go, I now had a load time on my hands and I know I started to think more about myself… analysing everything I was doing. I felt extremely lonely.
I’ve always been a fit and sporty person. I played loads of sports when I was at school and I continued to do as much activity as possible after I finished my education.
Fitness is something which has always interested me and I often gave advice to friends and family about what they needed to do to keep in shape as well as explaining all of the mental benefits.
I decided to pursue the qualifications allowing me to become a Personal trainer and in late 2022 I joined the Hidden Strength gym in Gosforth.
Lifting weights was one of the fitness areas which really interested Sam. That is now something in which she specialises. Want to see what she’s up to? Check out Sam’s Instagram site…@liftwithsamantha
“The response from people on social media has been incredible,” adds Sam. “I remember people saying that after a tough session in the gym, they feel great afterwards…that they’re buzzing. It’s true, and of course there is a knockon effect to your mental health because it makes you feel better. And yes, if you have the right diet and you do plenty of exercise, you’ll look better too. I always take that last point as one of the accidental benefits of doing some work in a gym. The fitness industry places too much emphasis on weight loss and looking good or the need for women to do cardio work. The big benefit is that you will feel better both mentally and physically; the fact that you will more than likely look better and lose weight is an added bonus. The bottom line is that the more you do some exercise, the better you will feel.”
Things have gone so well that Sam won’t be going back to the hospitality business. She is building a client base and now offers personal training sessions to single people and couples. She also does a few group sessions.
Everything takes place at Gosforth’s Hidden Strength gym. Oh, and don’t worry, you’re not in with a load of other folk. At most you may be in a room where a second Personal Trainer is conducting a single person session.
Healthy body and a healthy mind; Samantha Watt can give you the lift you need.